Dead Space Retaliation After Tau Volantis
by NotHmelville
Summary: A new and revised version of my previous piece which is my take on how the Dead Space saga ends. The brother moons looming over Earth filled Isaac with dread. Moments later he gasped awake to find that he was neither dead nor particularly well.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"United mining, do you read over" The transmission echoed only silence.

Issac looked at Carver confusedly.

"They should of answered by now" said Carver

Mere moments passed before the spectre of a Brethren Moon, dwarfing the moon.

"oh...god" Isaac said with his jaw hanging low.

"Mr. Clarke, Mr Clarke you can wake up now" said with a calm mild mannered voice which emanated from a man dressed in black.

Isaac opened his eyes a little more but not fully as the bright light shone brightly into his face which was still bloodied from the fight with the moon.

"Mr Clarke. It's nice to see you awake this time. Did you have pleasant dreams?"

"Dreams" Isaac replied slowly and groggily.

"Remember. The Terra Nova and Carr?" "I must admit the government interrogation apparatus is so much more effective than. The "traditional" method"

Isaac opened his eyes even further with his sight becoming clearer. It was at this moment that he noticed the entwined arms of the marker. The marker was a symbol. And it was white on the black uniform of the "sandman"

"Mr Clarke. My name is Mr Carr" "You're aboard a ship. You've been here for several months in a coma"

"GOD, WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE" Isaac yelled angrily.

"Mr Clarke. Isaac we have spent a lot of time repairing you and learning from you. And now you're going home"

"Tell me Isaac do you recognise this ship?"

"yeah it looks familiar. looks like a warship" Isaac said. His temper had morphed into curiosity.

"You should, it's the "Valor"

"This ship was among the first places visited by the marker which spread it's glorious convergence upon Aegis 7 and the vessels that came after. We spent quite a bit of time restoring it after it crashed into the Ishimura"

"Oh no. I can't do this again. IV'E HAD ENOUGH"

"I'm not here to make use of you anymore. I'm here to tell you that you're going home. You see during our struggle with Earthgov, we triumphed. And now Earth is the centre of our faith.

"When Danik found you on that iceball. he summoned reinforcements. By the the time we arrived all we found was our desolated salvation and the killer. You Mr Clarke. You who robbed humanity of our EVOLUTION"

Carr promptly, almost uncontrollably struck Isaac's face. Fresh blood crept from his mouth accompanied by a profound aching.

"That's when they spared you, so you could face trial at our new church on Earth"

Carr who had now finished his litany of anger stood straight as his assistant spoke to him.

Hi assistant promptly exited the room after hearing the words "I'll join you at the the bridge Mr Randall"

He promptly left. Carr waited and looked at Isaac and half smiled at him with the contentment that someone so heretical was to receive his retribution. Then he left.

The so called restoration work was anything but as the walls and floors were dripping with moisture courtesy of a poorly pressurisation job. This left the room in a humid and stale atmosphere and was exacerbated by the lack of temperature control. If there was anything harmless and living aboard then it would be a tropical paradise although this was a thought that Isaac kept to himself.

The lights flickered on and off from time to time. Isaac could also various notes from the engineering crew although he could read them clearly which was sticky taped over some naval propaganda.

As he searched the rooms with his eyes he could see impact scratches from pulse rifle fire which he was all too familiar with during his time aboard the Ishimura but something did catch his eye; a table with a telekinesis module and what appeared to be a stasis pack.

An alarm rang out over the ship wide speakers "Warning. Unknown ship detected. two zero three degrees. Starboard side"

Approximately 5 minutes had passed when a blast struck the hull. Resonating a dull tone throughout the vessel.

"Power depleted. Switching to reserve. System rebooting" the shipboard computer announced.

Isaac's restraints were lifted. Isaac stood up and moved toward the desk facing the wall.

He found a spare TK module and stasis pack amongst the tools of his captors trade; that being blooded blades although these had clearly not been used upon him.

As he placed the TK module on his wrist he felt the worst kind of familiarity and paused for a moment and blinked his eyes once at half speed before letting out a longer than normal exhalation from his nose.

A noise from the far side of the room broke this precious and brief tranquilly.

The rooms door had malfunctioned making it slide wildly from side to side. He had seen this one time too many to be fooled and remembered just how he used it before to so that he might live.

Isaac used the stasis pack to slow down the door and exit the room.

As Isaac moved down the corridors towards the crew barracks he saw unitology fighters running hurriedly to other parts of the ship.

One fighter noticed Isaac and promptly raised his rifle only to find himself pinned to the ceiling by a loose gravity plate caused by a shot to the ships side.

The screaming was loud and sincere as the plate was slowly crushing the fighter until it faded into near silence.

Isaac proceeded along the corridor hoping to find the docking port in order to find an escape hatch only to be obstructed by loose fittings and the parts of the inner bulkhead which he removed with his TK module.

Nearing the bridge section, he encountered the captain of the besieged ship. Who was in a panicked congress with Randall although the captain was rather calm.

"What now?" said Randall

"We still have the marker onboard. We'll release the shielding" The captain said slowly almost as if he was narrating a story.

"But you'll kill us all" a scared Randall said.

"No. The dead shall be reborn and they will purge this holy vessel of heretics. Now is the time of our transcendence" The captain calmly took out a device which resembled a detonator and extended it outward with his right arm, smiled and pushed the button.

A strange pulse resounded throughout the ship and sounded almost as if someone rung a very low sounding bell.

The sound knocked Isaac down to the floor. Moments later a dead fighter started to move with a stuttering motion. A pair of long, sharp, boney looking blades grew from him and his face fell into something beyond recognition, erupting with an almighty roar.

The captain called to the newly formed creature "To me brother. Let me be the instrument of the markers will" he opened his as if to greet a friend. The blades plunged into his chest which yielded only the brief scream of torment from the captain. He was gone leaving behind a facial expression which said only that he was so very wrong.

Randall ran with the necromorph following in hot pursuit.

Clarke tuned right towards one of the docking ports only to encounter the sounds of a slasher necormorph although the beast itself did not seem to move; it was almost as if it did not sense Isaac.

It was getting more dangerous as the other ship was making more and more destructive blows against the tattered hull of the Valor one of which had caused a light bulb to flash revealing the slasher which turned into a manic and furious charge.

Isaac sent a shot from his stasis module at the monster knowing that his time was short he frantically scoured the room for something that would kill it.

Finally he saw it. A fully loaded telemetric spike gun. His lifeline. It was like winning the lottery for him.

Isaac jumped towards the spike gun which caused him to bleed from mouth as he had landed so desperately towards it.

The gun was switched from safe to primed and aimed at the enemy only to impale it.

The spike rammed into the slasher and pinned it to the hull. It had penetrated the hull sucking the out the air in the room until there was silence.

It was clear that this part of the ship had lost the outer layer of armour during it's reclamation and it would not be long before absolutely everything aboard would be dead. Isaac spared a thought for the blooded blades he saw at the table in the interrogation room. There must have been of others; he couldn't help them, there were only minutes left and the odds are that they were already converted to necromorphs by now.

How many times had he left people behind? How many lives did he see begging for help within the range of his sense but could not physically reach? He felt a lesser and emptier man for it but reminded himself that in the end it was about ending the nightmare forever and everyone.

Although the slasher was pinned it still moved frantically waving it's blades from side to side desperate to devour Isaac.

Isaac had exhaled the air in his lungs shortly before he grabbed the EVA suit that hung by the airlock door.

As he put on his helmet he felt the hull about to give way. The helmet sealed itself creating a tight environment around his body which sent a burst of air into his face in order to complete the seal. It reminded him of the wind on Earth and he felt a strange comfort in it.

An explosive bolt which ringed the docking circle suddenly detonated breaking away the weakened hull as well as violently ripping away the airlock door itself which passed by Isaac by a mere inches.

Isaac was hurled into the void along with the body of the slasher which bounced off a piece of engine covering and was incinerated as it eventually made it's way down to the engines.

Isaac turned around only to see the former USM Valor in flames and in pieces with fire spewing out like watery jets of gold with the odd bit of turquoise. It was beautiful.

The bridge section of the Valor gave way and floated away with pieces of wiring that stuck out which seemed almost as if was reaching out wanting to be repatriated with the midsection.

As it separated necromorphs came out with one such beast in the process of impaling a doomed crewman. It was strange to see this in the weightless environment of space as it was almost as if time had stopped.

A dark object with flickering red and green lights moved slowly beneath the Valor before coming into the direct sunlight.

Isaac had noticed a sign on the second ship which read "WEKA"

Moments later a communications channel opened on his suit RIG.

"Isaac. come aboard, quick we have to get out of here" The voice sounded like Carver but Isaac couldn't be sure.

"Ok I'm coming in just don't string me up like the other guys" replied Clarke


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Isaac examined the phantom ships airlock and wondered "What am I doing?"

These thoughts turned to dust as he made his way through the lock and was greeted by familiar face which was obscured by the faulty lighting of a vessel that has seen better days.

"Isaac, you made it. We have been looking for you for months"

"Carver?!, thought you died at the moon?!" the dim lights suddenly flickered back into life revealing a hardened face which had an additional scar running across his forehead

"yeah nearly. Uni bastards picked me up. I only got out when they thought I was dead and they threw me out with the garbage at Resurgere which is where these guys found me"

"That's rough. So what's going on why did the Unis tell me they got Earth"

A door slid open with surprising smoothness considering the rest of the vessel. A short dark figure emerged with a round face which was full, cold and expressionless.

"Isaac Clarke. The so called marker killer" The man stopped and released a thoughtful hmpf sound as if to express his covert thoughts.

"Tau Volantis exists only in the highest circles of Unitology. However Aspera is now a holy site and the truth has been altered to suit their needs. You are the chief heretic in their eyes, the man who destroyed the second marker and robbed humanity of its faith. Earth is safe for now but much of the other colonies have been destroyed"

"And that's why we are here. They found our outpost. Converted some of us by making them kill the heathens, My shipmates, my friends were there."

"God" Isaac said in a subdued and unbelieving tone. "But who are you guys?"

"I'm Colby and I am the Captain of this rustbucket" The cold faced man said.

"Captain somethings screwing with the impulse drive" Said a seemingly distant crewman.

"Alright Clarke you're suited, go take a look" Colby said with confidence.

A minute later Isaac made his way to the side of the vessel and quickly spotted an out of place panel.

He moved close so he could reinstall the panel only to notice something moving in the corner of his eye.

"Uhh guys I think I've found the problem. I got some 'uglies' attached to the ship"

"Don't tell me, Blast em" Colby blasted over the RIG

That'd be great but all I've got is a stare and harsh language"

"There's a plasma cutter close to the forward exhausts of the engine block" Colby directed him.

Isaac jetted over to the engine block finding a cutter which moored by a wire and at it's base was written the word "HUNGRY" in blood. Isaac realised that there had been some maintenance work being done before the hapless worker fell to the void of space or pieces of him anyway.

Isaac shook his head for a moment and proceeded to the primary exhausts. He saw the problem, wild rabid bloodied and distorted visions of humanity.

These were different from his earlier encounter. They had spiked tendrils for limbs which seemed to grip onto the hull leaving scratch marks but were nonetheless very tight in their grip.

One of the creatures saw Isaac and raised its head which opened only to launch a projectile towards Isaac which caused him to move laterally. And subsequently retaliated, firing the cutter which cut through it's fore-right hand tendril which spun off into space. Isaac fired once again this time at the head of the beast severing it from the body only for it to bounce off the hull.

Isaac saw another and fired, executing a similar destruction.

He saw a loose drive mask which he promptly reattached to its rightful place.

"OK I got it. So where are we heading to now?"

"Mars" Carver said

"Mars?! what's there?!"

'Site 8. It's a research base built by the Oracles, hidden right in plain sight, right in the colony" Carver responded with hesitance.

"What. Oracles. I thought Earthgov built them"

"They did after they figured out what Tidemann was doing on Titan. Right now the cult is taking the domes. They're converting or killing everyone so they can get to it"

By this time Isaac had boarded the ship

"ALRIGHT SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT'S ON MARS THAT'S SO IMPORTANT?" Isaac reacted angrily. He looked as if he could strike Carver.

"Isaac take it easy" Carver tried to calm Isaac down

"HOW?! 6 YEARS I'VE BEEN OUT OF MY MIND" Isaac seemed to calm down with sobriety "I lost everything and now we've lost home" Isaac sighed "Even Ellie's gone" and Christ, you want to go to the ass end of the system which is crawling with unis.

Colby intervened "Clarke, she didn't give up. She went back to New Horizons"

"It's funny the Unis weren't so bad at first. They sealed off the colony. It all all changed when they rediscovered Aspera. Here see for yourself"

Colby played a transmission "Carver. I found the Unis... I've been here a few weeks" Ellie sounded hesitant and looked up towards the centre. "They changed just like Isaac said. It's happening all over again" "I found a file fragment from the Ishimura. It points to a location called Von Neuman. I think it's a Mars settlement" The roar of a necromorph leaped in forcing Ellie to move hurriedly, firing her plasma cutter at the side of the screen. Then static.

"That was taken from the ruins of Titan station. So you see why we decided to find you and why we need to go to Mars. Any chance we have of stopping this, is a chance we HAVE to take" Colby sounded commandingly.

The Shockdrive wurred and roared into life turning a formidable warship into a tiny blue speck hidden amongst the corona of the bright blue emission.

Isaac shifted his attention once more to Colby "I destroyed the moon on Tau Volantis, why are there still Necromorphs running around?"

Colby briefly fidgeted in his seated position "That was just one of several moons and Isaac; they do know where Earth is and they are coming. I was told by Carver that Ellie was searching for a way to destroy these things for good and we think that she may of found it"

"Any idea what "it" is?" Isaac responded.

"Nope. But I do know that Earthgov or rather members of were looking for a way to harness the marker signal. In fact I know this because I was one of those looking for it"

"Oh god. what so you're a part of that recovery mission for the O'Bannon?"

"Yes I was on-board the Abraxis. It was my job to organise the transport of special materials for the overseer for Project telemore. Of course he was doing it without approval or even awareness from Earthgov"

"I thought I were going to provide humanity with limitless energy and genetic research which would advance ourselves beyond imagining. In the end all we were doing was what the marker wanted"

"Exiting shockspace in 3..2...1." The shipboard computer sounded.

The two men who held their suspicions high of one another had become united in their impulse to witness the Mars colony.

"Sweet mother of..." Carvers mouth remained open for several of the longest perceivable seconds.

Carvers awe and horror was spawned by the vast plain of destruction. Ships that had once plied the trade lanes between Earth and Mars had become shattered hulls turned into nothing more than scrap metal hulks.

One of the crew began to do a LADAR search and found various contacts. It turned out to be part of a planetary containment system which consisted of four high powered missile and mass driver satellites capable of destroying everything in their view.

"Goddamn it, go dark and stay out of range" Colby shouted in a tone that had broken the calm and mild mannered man who seemed to be unbreakable.

Colby called out to the satellites identifying himself as the captain USM Weka. All he heard was static but during his hails his pilot located the central control station for the satellites.

"If we take out the CCS we could disarm the satellites and land. But we'd have to go EVA to reach it. Me and Isaac can do it" Carver said.

Isaac scoffed "Figures. We'll need a booster pack in order to close the gap"

"Right we'll keep you updated and come get you when you're done" Colby said.

Moments later Isaac and Carver seated themselves in the mounted boosters. An eery silence had filled the airlock with Isaac breathing a small sigh along with the sentiment of "Every damned time"

The airlock depressurized and a spinning red light turned itself on. Moments later Isaac and Carver found themselves hurtling through the debris field. The pressure started to mount as the spinning chunks of metal came closer but were dodged by the adept piloting of Isaac. His own breathing which steadily grew as they got closer to the CCS became frantic. He couldn't hold it any longer and yelped out a mighty scream whilst dodging the debris."Isaac, eject now goddamn it"

At that moment both Isaac and Carver jumped out of the booster pack which left them spinning. Once they had stabilised their motion Isaac witnessed the booster pack ramming and indeed puncturing part of the Station.

"lets hope that wasn't too important" said Isaac.

Isaac and Carver entered the airlock with their boots gripping tightly to the floor as the pressure was restored.

"You do know this place had crew. Right?" Said Carver.

"Yeah. I know" Carver said bitterly and with equal expectation.

"Carver. You go up to weapons control and I'll head to the C&C room"

Isaac proceeded along a tight one lane corridor. He could hear scratching although it wasn't coming anywhere close. It sounded as if it was from outside. The scratching became louder and louder until it felt as whatever it was was scratching his helmet.

He started to sweat as his breathing became more quicker. A brief moment passed when he heard nothing but silence. Isaac moved slowly along the corridor. One step, two steps, three steps and as he took to a fourth step. Boom! Crash! the corridor walls started to collapse as if to be the inside of a garbage compressor.

He looked to the rear only to find that the section corridor behind was being squeezed. "Got to get out of here"

As he ran the squeezing followed almost as if it were trying to keep pace with his frantic running.

As the door approached to the crew quarters he made a final effort. Just as he was neared the door the corridor gave way to space only reveal a mass of tentacles covered in what seemed to be human teeth crawling its way in.

It immediately retracted after Isaac blasted it off with a shot from his Plasma cutter. A moment later it ripped apart throwing Isaac into the open narrowly missing an enormous jaw which was bristling with razor sharp teeth. Isaac quickly turned around to face the beast.

"Oh my fucking god" An enormous mass of necrotic flesh faced him it's centre consisted of three irregularly sized pustules surrounded by serrated tentacles. The jaw was located at the top of the monster and seemed to close on the centre which by such an action would encase the central pustules.

All hope seems to be lost. Isaac was almost out of ammunition and his o2 tank wasn't going to last.

But then one of station missiles came into his view, it had been partially absorbed by the creature with it's detonation cap exposed. He also saw that there were some portable booster rockets that he used on Titan station.

He Tk'd the rocket and set it off using his cutter. It passed thought the mass of tentacles which were desperately trying to knock it out of the way. The rocket landed perfectly on the missile which blew a whole in the hole in the creature sending a mass of dead flesh and blood into a stream facing which veered towards Isaac landing various pieces onto his suit.

A moment later the pustules in the centre started started to erupt and explode which left what could only be described as a crater in the beast.

In it's dying moment it fired a small swarm of projectiles similar to the "nest" at Isaac at which point he fired his boosters towards the door.

"COME ON!" He shouted

The swarm was gaining ground and promptly impacted the door as Isaac had barely enough time to pass through and hit the panel in order to close it.


End file.
